Studying in Europe on a full scholarship sounds like a long shot for most people. But the Czech Republic has been quietly funding thousands of international students for decades, and the 2027/2028 round just opened its doors. If you’re from one of the eligible countries and you’re eyeing a Master’s or PhD, this is one of the more solid, no-strings-attached funding routes out there.
This guide covers exactly who qualifies, what the money actually pays for, how the application works step by step, and the small details that trip people up if they’re not paying attention. Read it before you touch the application portal.
What Exactly Is This Scholarship?
The Czech government runs this program as part of its Foreign Development Cooperation strategy, and it’s not some new pilot scheme. It’s been running since the late 1950s, and over 20,000 international students have finished degrees at Czech public universities through it. That’s a long track record for a government-funded program, and it says something about how seriously the Czech Republic takes this partnership with developing nations.
Three government bodies run the show together:
- The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS)
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- The Ministry of Health, which helps out with health-related fields
The whole thing operates under Government Resolution No. 870, signed on 27 November 2024, which lays out exactly how funding gets allocated each cycle.
Here’s what makes this different from a lot of scholarship programs: it doesn’t just fund a semester or a year abroad. It covers your entire degree, start to finish, as long as you keep up with your coursework and stay in good academic standing.
It’s also worth understanding why this program exists in the first place. It’s not a marketing exercise for Czech universities — it’s a formal arm of the country’s foreign development cooperation policy, sitting alongside its diplomatic and health assistance work abroad. That’s part of why it’s survived, largely unchanged in spirit, for close to seventy years. Governments come and go, but the commitment to funding students from partner nations has stuck around.
Who’s Actually Eligible?
Not everyone gets to apply here as this scholarship is locked to citizens of specific countries the Czech government has flagged as development partners. For the 2027/2028 cycle, that list includes:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Georgia
- Ukraine
- Belarus (democratic forces specifically)
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Mauritania
- Zambia
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- Palestine
- Guatemala
- Honduras
One thing to flag right away: if you’re a Czech citizen, an EU citizen, or you already hold permanent residency in the Czech Republic, you’re out. Doesn’t matter what your original nationality is — none of those groups can apply, full stop. This scholarship exists purely to bring in students who don’t already have settled status in the country or the EU.
And here’s something worth remembering before you get your hopes up too high: ticking every eligibility box doesn’t guarantee you a spot. It just means you’re allowed to compete for one. The number of scholarships handed out each year is capped, so being eligible and being selected are two very different things.
It’s also worth double-checking your own status carefully rather than assuming. Some applicants from eligible countries hold dual nationality or long-term residence permits elsewhere in the EU, and that can complicate things depending on how it’s documented. If there’s any doubt about your residency status, it’s worth clarifying with the program administrator before you invest time in the application, rather than finding out after you’ve already submitted everything.
Which Programs and Languages Are on Offer?
Where you’re from actually shapes which track you can pick. There are two options here, and they work quite differently.
Studying in Czech
Only applicants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, and Belarus can go this route. It leads to a two-year follow-up Master’s degree, but only in specific approved subjects. You can’t just pick any field and expect it to qualify.
Since your classes will be in Czech, you’ll start with a one-year preparatory language course first, and that’s baked into your scholarship package at no extra cost. Charles University’s Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies runs this course, and it’s genuinely one of the best-regarded places in the country for teaching foreigners Czech.
Studying in English
This one’s open to all thirteen eligible nationalities, and it covers:
- Selected Master’s programs (two years)
- Selected Doctoral programs (three to four years)
No language prep year here, since your coursework is already in English. Instead, you’ll need to pass a mandatory online English entrance test as part of your application. There’s no getting around it.
The Ministry publishes downloadable spreadsheets listing exactly which subjects and programs qualify. These are separate lists for Czech-taught Master’s, English-taught Master’s, and English-taught Doctoral programs. Go through these carefully before you apply, because scholarship funding only applies to what’s actually on the list. Picking a program that isn’t listed means no funding, no matter how strong your application is otherwise.
Take the time to actually open these spreadsheets rather than skimming a summary somewhere. Program names can look similar across universities but sit in completely different faculties, with different intake numbers and different competitiveness. A quick cross-check against the university’s own program page can save you from applying to something that technically qualifies but isn’t really what you had in mind.
What Do You Need Academically Before Applying?
A few baseline requirements apply no matter which track you’re eyeing:
- Master’s applicants need a completed Bachelor’s degree (or an equivalent) already in hand.
- PhD applicants need a completed Master’s degree (or equivalent) already in hand.
- Anyone applying for an English-taught program also needs to pass the online English entrance test.
These aren’t flexible. If you haven’t actually finished your prior degree by the time you apply, you’re not eligible to move forward and there’s no “I’ll finish it soon” exception here.
What Does the Money Actually Cover?
This is where the scholarship earns its reputation. Recipients get:
- A full tuition waiver for the entire standard length of their Master’s or PhD program at a Czech public university.
- A monthly stipend to help with living costs. The most recent guidelines set this at CZK 16,000 a month for Master’s students and CZK 17,000 a month for PhD students, though the Ministry can adjust these numbers between cycles. Your official award letter, called the Decision on Granting a Scholarship, will always confirm the exact figure that applies to you.
- A fully funded Czech language year if you’re on the Czech-taught Master’s track, delivered through Charles University.
- Health coverage on roughly the same footing as Czech citizens, with the Ministry of Health picking up standard care costs. Anything beyond standard treatment is on you.
- Help settling in, including registration support through the International Student Office when you first land, especially for those starting the Czech-language prep year.
Now, a reality check on that stipend: it’s meant to cover your rent, food, and public transport, same as any Czech student living on a similar budget. It’s not extra pocket money on top of free housing as you’re expected to manage your own living costs from that monthly amount. And travel to and from the Czech Republic, both when you arrive and when your studies wrap up, comes out of your own pocket (or whoever nominated you for the scholarship), not the Ministry’s.
One more thing to keep in mind: this funding is tied to one specific program, at one specific university, for a specific length of time. You can’t hand it off to someone else, stretch it informally, or switch it to a different course or school once it’s granted. And if you end up repeating a year and go past the standard program length, you lose your scholarship status entirely and start paying the same fees a regular Czech student would.
It’s a good idea to budget with a small buffer beyond the stipend itself, especially for your first couple of months. Setting up a bank account, finding housing, and getting your residence paperwork sorted all take time, and none of that waits for your stipend to clear. Students who arrive with a bit of extra cash on hand tend to have a much smoother first semester than those cutting it close.
How Do You Actually Apply?
Everything happens online through the StudyIn.gov.cz portal. Here’s the process, step by step:
- Register on the portal. You get one registration and one application per cycle, so double-check everything before you submit.
- Fill out the application form with your personal details, academic background, and program choices.
- Write your motivation letter. This isn’t optional as your application won’t be considered complete without it.
- Sit the required tests. Everyone takes the general study prerequisites test. If you’re going the English-taught route, you’ll also sit the English proficiency test.
- Submit before the deadline. The window runs from 21 August 2026 to 30 September 2026. Anything submitted after that date simply won’t count.
If you’re accepted, you’ll start your studies at the beginning of the 2027/2028 academic year. Given how many people apply each cycle, don’t leave your documents, language test prep, or motivation letter until the last week. Start early.
Documents You Should Actually Read
Before you touch that application form, pull up the official “Guidelines for Granting Scholarships of the Government of the Czech Republic.” It’s available in both Czech and English straight from the Ministry’s site, and it’s the document that governs everything from scholarship amounts, what it takes to renew, academic performance rules, and what can get your funding pulled.
There’s also a separate FAQ document that covers a lot of the practical questions people tend to ask during application season. If you’ve read both and you’re still stuck, you can reach the program administrator directly at registr@dzs.cz.
How Your Data Gets Handled
Like any government application, your personal information goes through official processing channels. The Ministry, along with its agency the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS), publishes privacy notices that follow EU GDPR rules. Worth a quick read before you upload anything personal or academic to the portal.
Other Options Worth a Look
Beyond this specific scholarship, the Ministry runs a few other programs that might interest you:
- Summer Schools of Slavonic Studies offers short courses for anyone interested in Czech language, literature, and culture.
- Scholarships for the Academic Year 2026/27 which is a page listing other government-backed funding open to different applicant categories.
- Czech for Foreigners offering structured language support for non-native speakers, which can be a smart stepping stone if you’re eventually aiming for a Czech-taught degree.
If you’re weighing options across Europe more broadly, the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are a solid comparison point which are another fully funded, government-run program, just based in Switzerland instead. And if you’re open to looking beyond Europe entirely, Saudi Arabia has a decent lineup of fully funded scholarships across Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD levels worth checking out too.
Why This Scholarship Actually Matters
For students coming from developing economies, this program is worth more than just a tuition-free degree. It’s built on decades of diplomatic and academic ties between the Czech Republic and its partner countries. Plenty of graduates go on to hold serious positions back home which keeps strengthening the relationship between these countries and the Czech Republic long after graduation.
For the Czech side, it’s a two-way benefit too. Bringing in talented students from around the world helps Czech universities internationalize their classrooms and research labs, while also deepening long-term diplomatic and economic ties with partner nations.
Official Source
For the latest updates, always check directly with the Ministry:
Czech Government Scholarships Official Website
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can actually apply for this scholarship?
Only citizens of the thirteen listed countries spanning Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus (democratic forces), Ethiopia, Gabon, Mauritania, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Palestine, Guatemala, and Honduras. Czech citizens, other EU nationals, and anyone with permanent residency in the Czech Republic can’t apply, regardless of their original nationality.
When’s the deadline for 2027/2028?
The portal opened 21 August 2026 and closes 30 September 2026. Everything needs to be complete before that date.
Does it cover everything, tuition included?
Yes. It covers the standard length of your Master’s or PhD program, including tuition. If you’re on the Czech-taught track, you also get a fully funded year of language prep before your degree starts.
Do I need to already speak Czech?
Not if you go the English-taught route and that just requires passing an English proficiency test. Only applicants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ukraine, and Belarus can access the Czech-taught Master’s track, and that one comes with the language prep year built in.
What academic background do I need first?
A Bachelor’s degree for Master’s-level scholarships, a Master’s degree for PhD-level ones. You need to have finished these before you apply, not partway through.
Can I apply more than once?
No. Just one registration, one application per cycle is allowed. Make sure everything’s accurate before you hit submit.
What if my question isn’t answered anywhere?
Check the guidelines and the FAQ document first. Still stuck? Email registr@dzs.cz directly.
If I meet every requirement, am I guaranteed the scholarship?
No. Eligibility gets you into the running, not a guaranteed seat. There’s no legal entitlement to an award, and only a limited number get granted each year based on available funding and spots.